The HBO adaptations of George R.R. Martin's work, Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, have all become notorious for their brutality. Much like their source material, the TV versions of Martin's work kill off seemingly important characters left and right.
As such, several iconic characters from the franchise don't actually last that long, with many dying in the same season where they are introduced. This results in many of these characters becoming associated with their respective season, helping to define it in fans' minds and cause each season to develop its own distinct identity.
These five short-lived characters throughout the A Song of Ice and Fire shows made an incredible impact.
- Ned Stark (Game of Thrones season 1)
- Oberyn Martell (Game of Thrones season 4)
- Viserys Targaryen (House of the Dragon season 1)
- The entire supporting cast (A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 1)
- Ormund Hightower (House of the Dragon season 3)
Ned Stark (Game of Thrones season 1)
Game of Thrones season 1, the first of HBO's takes on Martin's work, set the precedent of killing off major characters. While the likes of Viserys Targaryen (Harry Lloyd), Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy), and Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa), seemingly set to play a major part throughout the show, all die by the end of season 1, it's impossible to think about the beginning of Game of Thrones without thinking about Ned Stark (Sean Bean).
Throughout season 1, Ned acts as the closest thing Game of Thrones has to a main character. Noble and honorable, Ned proves easy to root for, especially when pitted against the show's scheming and underhanded villains.
However, by the ninth episode of the season, Ned finds himself on the literal chopping block, with Ser Ilyn Payne (Wilko Johnson) beheading him on the orders of King Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson). Game of Thrones becomes a different series in Ned's absence, focusing on its sprawling ensemble cast with far less of a central figure, making season 1 truly feel like Ned's season.
Oberyn Martell (Game of Thrones season 4)
Game of Thrones made the smart decision to split Martin's third A Song of Ice and Fire book, A Storm of Swords, up into two seasons. This allowed both halves of one of Martin's busiest novels in the series to feel fleshed out. Additionally, the infamous, game-changing Red Wedding, which takes place towards the middle of Storm, can act as the third season's climax without disrupting the typical Game of Thrones pacing.
As such, season 4 was able to focus on a character introduced towards the middle of A Storm of Swords, Oberyn Martell (Pedro Pascal).
Oberyn is the first major Dornish character to appear on Game of Thrones, allowing him to further stand out among the huge cast. His sexual promiscuity, hilarious one-liners, and strong sense of justice quickly catapulted him to the top of many fans' lists of favorite characters. Unfortunately, that sense of justice ultimately results in Oberyn's death, as he falls fighting the Mountain (Hafþór JúlÃus Björnsson) in hopes of avenging his sister, Elia, before the season comes to a close.
Oberyn made the most of his relatively short tenure on the series, helping define Game of Thrones season 4.
Viserys Targaryen (House of the Dragon season 1)
Much like Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon kicks off its run with a false protagonist. In this case, the series begins by primarily focusing on King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine) and the end of his reign, with his death in the season’s eighth episode acting as a key catalyst for the eventual Dance of Dragons.
The subsequent seasons of House of the Dragon focus on the famous inter-family conflict, positioning Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) and Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) as the series' leads as each side wages war on each other.
As such, Viserys' stretch on the show represents a calm before the storm, and utilizing his perspective towards the beginning helps illustrate the initial closeness of Alicent and Rhaenyra from someone else's eyes before the Dance tore them apart. With this in mind, season 1 of House of the Dragon feels like a different series with different priorities, as evidenced by its different leading character.
The entire supporting cast (A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 1)
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, based on Martin's Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas, follows the adventures of, well, "Dunk" (better known as Ser Duncan the Tall, played by Peter Claffey), and "Egg" (a.k.a. Prince Aegon Targaryen, played by Dexter Sol Ansell). Each season of the series is set to adapt a different novella, with the recently aired first season bringing the duo's first outing, "The Hedge Knight," to life.
Dunk and Egg remain the only two consistent characters throughout the books, with their adventures taking them throughout the Seven Kingdoms. With this in mind, it is unlikely that the stellar, fan-favorite supporting cast from the first season, including Ser Lyonel Baratheon (Daniel Ings), Ser Raymun Fossoway (Shaun Thomas), Prince Maekar Targaryen (Sam Spruell), and Tanselle (Tanzyn Crawford), among many others, will return for future outings. The same can be said for Prince Baelor Targaryen (Bertie Carvel), who is killed in season 1.
While they will be missed going forward, the new supporting cast members will certainly shine in season 2 in their own right, and the strong season 1 supporting players undeniably helped the show gain its well-deserved acclaim.
Ormund Hightower (House of the Dragon season 3)
Lord Ormund Hightower (James Norton) plays a key role throughout House of the Dragon season 3, essentially becoming the face of Team Green after Rhaenyra imprisons Alicent. His explosive and psychotic nature make him especially detestable, causing him to join the ranks of the franchise's greatest villains.
The recent season finale features Ormund's death at the hands of Roddy the Ruin (Tommy Flanagan) during the Battle of Tumbleton. Though his time on the series was short-lived, Norton's performance proved to be a high point of the season. When looking back at House of the Dragon after the show is complete, season 3 will almost certainly feel like "the Ormund season" given his brief—yet important—role.
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